Best use of a Newspaper

If you have had the opportunity to travel in public transport specially in Uttar Pradesh you may know what I am talking about. Today, I was in a UPSRTC bus travelling from Allahabad to Lucknow, on my way I saw a man entering the bus with a hindi newspaper in his hand. As soon as he took his seat, he suddenly became the centre of attraction and the 12 sheet paper was split and it was being shared by at least 10 different people at the same time.

 

I was amazed at the way all the people around started sharing the pages of the newspaper. I was even more surprised at the way there was a mutual understanding and how the sheets were being rotated amongst each one of them. I am almost sure some of the people who were sharing the newspaper were not even aware about the owner of the newspaper.

 

When I thought I have seen enough for the day, I got another shock. The owner of the newspaper stood up and said that he has to get down at the next stop in about a couple of minutes. This broadcast was more than enough and I was shocked at the speed at which the split sheets of the newspaper were collected, bundled in sequence and returned to the owner. Looking the paper you cannot assume that it had moved through a dozen hands.

 

I have not seen a better use of any newspaper. For me this was the best use that can be done of a newspaper and it was a 'full paisa wasool' performance by the people. I simply loved it.

 

 

Struggle for Existence

This is a topic that has been discussed in various forums and by millions of people. All have their own theory and logic to prove them. I am not going to indulge into the perennial debate, I am going to present my own story and leave it to you guys to decide if that is actually 'Struggle for Existence'.

 

I am presently in my hometown and I have had lots of time in leisure and have had the chance to roam in the roads that I have travelled once I was a Young kid. I passed through a lane that I am sure I had not been through for at least last decade or so. I saw an old man who was sitting under the tree with barely any clothes on him. I was surprised to see him there in the cold, I stopped to have a closer look and I was shocked when I was his face. He was the same man that I used to see, when I was in Allahabad, moving around the streets searching for food and clothes. I even remember my father giving him some old clothes. I was not sure how to react and I just moved away and walked away back home.

 

I have been sitting on that thought since then and I am still not sure how that person has managed to live with all the cruelties of life surrounding him. I did not know what to do but still I decided to give him a blanket. I took one from home and walked back to the place that I had seen him. I could not find him there, he was gone. I assumed that he must have gone in search of some food. I have not seen him since then.

 

There is nothing that I could do to help him but the mere thought that he has survived all these years without food and shelter made me think that we always struggle for existence in our life. I found this a perfect example for Struggle for Existence. I leave the rest on you guys.

SONY Entertainment Channel

I have been noticing this for the last few months and I really think that this is time when SONY guys should seriously start thinking about renaming their channel to CID. Yes there is no typo and you read it right. For the last few months it has happened that whenever I switch onto SONY channel, I only end up watching CID running. I enjoy watching serials that have a good theme such as Crime Patrol and Adalat but I must confess that I have lately started hating CID and to an extent I am becoming allergic to it.

 

I have nothing stacked against the show but I have seen anything change in the show in the last couple of years atleast. They still run on Qualis and have the same team. Though there have been a few changes to the team members but I am sure that would have been because the original team members would have opted out rather than new faces been taken in. I would have appreciated if they could have taken things few notch higher and showed some advance techniques of conquering the criminals, coming up with interesting cases and then solving them using some proper logic. I hate it when the ACP calls onto his men and ask them to collate a list of all the cars that are running on CNG and are hatchbacks and have been driven by a driver who wears sports shoe in the entire Mumbai and it hardly takes the man a couple of hours to come up with the list.

 

I am also amazed at the memory that the chai walas possess. They would ask any chai wala for an incident that would have occurred about a couple of weeks ago and the chai wala would have the entire incident just at the back of his hand. The forensic lab that they have, have equipments that could tell the DNA structure of the person scanning the image of his shadow. How unrealistic, come on give me a break. But still leaving aside any and everything that the show it kills to see it running almost round the clock. It is my humble request to the Sony entertainment network to either change their name to CID else have few more shows running.

 

'Skyfall' - Review

To summarize I must say that Skyfall is the perfect summary of the 50 illustrious years of the franchise. I would also like to warn you that if you expect to see fancy gadgets, illustrated action sequences and hot ladies, this bond flick is not the one you should be watching. This movie is much more intense and the director Sam Mendes plays with your mind throughout the film. It is a story which is heavily dependent on the psychological mind games.

 

The movie has a perfect start with the first 10 minutes setting the tempo and it all ends up with 007 being shot and eventually being declared dead. He is then forced to rise and come back from dead when the headquarters at MI6 were attacked and the internal security system of the secret service was hacked. 007 is made to go through a series of tests which he fails but still he is still sent to field to investigate the events that happened as he is the only one that M trusts. Bond then travels to Shanghai and Macao and finds Silva, a former agent, who is the mastermind behind all these attacks. He was seeking revenge for how the system had treated him.

 

The film is not just about bond and his sizzling actions, it is more about his relationship with M and the long career history of M with the secret service.It goes back in time and reminds of the vintage bond. There is a sequence where Q hands over a gun and a radio transmitter to the secret agent and says "What did you expect, an exploding pen? We don’t go in for that anymore.". It also portrays the bad guy in the film to be larger than life and the hero. He makes bond uncomfortable with his moves and ways.

 

I also loved the film being revolved around Shanghai, underground of London and a very cold countryside of Scotland. The vintage bond car and the use of hunting riffle in the climax amongst many more. It also marked the end of Judi Dench as M in the bond series. I was very moved by the movie and loved it. I would rate it as a 4/5. It was intense and it was good. 

Student of the year - unbiased review

Is this the Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander of the modern India ?

Is this the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai of today ?

Is Kajol going to have a guest appearance ?

 

I was not interested in answering any of these questions though I almost knew all of the answers. I was very firm that the magic that was created by KKHH and JJWS cannot be recreated. I was very sure, almost certain that Kajol would be a part of this movie.

 

I was not very motivated or excited about this movie and was not very keen about watching it. But I watched it yesterday night and then decided to write a review. I have been warned that I should write this review without any bias and with an open mind. I will try my best not get carried away and write exactly what I felt and then leave it to you to decide whether you want to watch it.

 

The movie is glamorous, fashion statement, out of the world high school drama and the characters look fresh. But that is pretty much it. The movie does not boost of any story line and is predictable all the way. The cameos of Rishi Kapoor, Boman Irani, Farida Jalal coupled with some really good punches at decent intervals keeps you laughing. Karan Johar maintains that he needs foreign locations, branded fabrics, dress materials, heavily decorated sets and some really tangy roles. Use of things like 'coach coach hota hai', the 'tatas' and the 'batas' and remix old songs like papa kahte hain, dhafli waale and disco deewane lift the movie.

 

But overall I did not like the movie, it was way too casual for me. There was no intensity in the movie almost at any time, the students were trying to step onto each other in order to move ahead. Plus the fact that the High School is never as glamorous. But this may be due to the generation gap which nowadays is being used as a sophisticated replacement for 'old fashioned and outdated'. Why I say this is because just the other day I referred to DDLJ and one of the freshers in my team said gosh how could anyone watch a movie like that, it was a torture. That made me realise that its been over a decade since I was in school. So maybe that is one reason that I did not like the movie.

 

As I mentioned it is going to be a unbiased review, I would give it 2.5 star and that takes into consideration that Kajol did make a guest appearance. If you like to watch fashion on the floor and if you are a brand freak and you like to see some fresh faces dancing it out ,it is the right type of movie for you. But as far as I am concerned Karan could have done better.

Writing on currency notes

How many of us are guilty of having written something or the other on a currency note? I bet the number would not be small. I for sure have been guilty of writing on notes when I was young. We friends had this game running for us where we were supposed to write our name or something to uniquely identify the note and then set it afloat in the market. We had a superstition that it it came back to you one of our wishes would be granted. I got none back!

Why I have picked this up today has a good reasoning. I was just rolling through my facebook updates when I saw an article that was there to spread awareness that writing on currency notes is actually a crime. I was surprised because I have seen lots of bank officials writing the total number of notes on the note at the top of the lot. So I started reading about the same and I was actually surprised to learn that it is indeed a crime. To add to this stapling the notes together is also not subscribed by the RBI. In November 2001, the central bank had stated that writing on the watermark window of bank notes is punishable under Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act 1949. It also ordered to stop stapling fresh, reissuable or non-issuable note packets. In 2002, RBI had pulled up a public sector bank for continuing with the stapling practice.

 

When I tried to run back in time, I realised that there was a transition period where the bundles of notes started coming with a rubber band to keep them together as opposed to being stapled. This has made me aware and I know what to do when next time someone asks me to write my name or contact details on the notes. This is a common practice that the organisations follow in order to be able to track the origin of the note just in case it turns out to be fake. But I am not going to fall in the trap and commit a crime. Also being a student of law I very well understand that Ignorantia juris non excusat (ignorance of the law is no excuse) so I would not be able to defend myself on the context that I did not know about it.

Buddha's Lobster @ Yo China !

If you are a Chinese lover and you love seafood, the Fish O Mania menu at Yo! China is a will be a real treat for you. There are delicious delicacies like the King Prawn Singtu, long tailed red snapper in hot bean sauce and Buddha's Lobster Feast In Spicy Dan Dan Sauce. I had not yet had a chance to taste any of these items at Yo China. I have eaten them in Goa but that was a different preparation. This evening I got a chance to visit Yo China and had the Buddha's Lobster in Dan Dan sauce and it was awesome.

I must thank my friend Deepak who insisted that we do eat it. To be very honest I was not very sure I wanted to have it because it is priced at 895 + tax which would be somewhere around 1000 rupees. But on being insisted I could not resist the offer and decided to take it on. I must confess I enjoyed every bite of it. It was presented exactly as it is evident in the picture alongside and it was delicious. I would suggest that if you wish to have a lobster some day, today has to be it and I am sure by now you now where you need to be for it.

You may find it expensive and I would agree with you on this but still for one day you can keep your economic instruments aside and let your tongue and taste buds enjoy. I would assume it is high time I leave you so that you can find the nearest outlet and help yourselves.

 

~On behalf of all Foodies~

 

Legend turns 70

Do I need to write anything about the person whom I am going to talk about. Naah! there is no need all of us know I am talking about the great Amitabh Bachchan. There entire nation is celebrating and people who are born on 11th October consider themselves lucky. It was all over the news channels and all the websites were talking about it. I am sure if google was Indian we would have seen a doodle for Mr Bachchan as well.

 

I do not have much to say just the fact that you sir, have been a great inspiration for me and I am sure for most of us. I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the things that you have taught me and many more like me. I can only say that it has been a great pleasure to have been born at a time that I got a chance to see you in flesh and blood. It has been a true honor to have been a witness to great acts and heroics of the man of the century. 

 

I am almost certain that no other entertainer will have the same aura that you have and nobody would ever command such a respect from the masses as you do. I am sure that the journey is not yet over and you are still to achieve few more milestones in life, not that there would be many left. I really feel blessed that I belong to Allahabad which is also your place of birth and this is something I have always felt proud of.

 

Just trying to hold my emotions I would want to add that the party thrown must have been great one and while everyone else was busy finding out who was invited and who was not I was sitting in my cubicle and reading all the news being floated around about the party and basking in the aura and persona of the man. I would really have loved to be a part of that party but I am sure there would be other million people who would have wanted to be a part of it.

 

Till sanity prevails Happy Birthday Sir !!!

Simon Taufel retires

The end of the T20 world cup also marks the end of Simon Taufel as a cricket umpire. Arguably the worlds best cricket umpire, Simon had made this announcement of retirement earlier in the tournament and the world T20 finals was his last outing as a cricket umpire. I have also admired him as an umpire and this is not usual as I generally hate Australians when it comes to cricket. The thing that I liked about him the most was the fact that he started umpiring at an tender age of 27 for ODIs and 29 for Test matches. This shows the fact that he enjoyed his work and that for me is the most important thing. If you do not enjoy the work that you do you are never going to be giving it your best.

 

The most amazing thing as one of my friends commented when I was discussing this topic with her was that Simon had decided to quit umpiring at an age that most international umpires start. This is a very obvious statement and emphasises the fact the the decision is not by force but is a well planned one. I heard his interview and he said he wants to spend time with his family and I (and almost all of us) respect his decision. But as they say you cannot keep a sports person away from his sport, Simon will be working as the Umpire performance and training manager with the ICC.

 

I salute the man for his excellent service over the last decade. The very fact that he has won the ICC Umpire of the year award for 5 successive years from 2004 - 2008 speaks of his dedication and passion towards the game. I know he has given a few decisions against the Indians that may have changed the face of the game but still I have immense respect for him and his all the best for his future and hope that he would excel in whatever he takes up. All the best mate, you will always be missed on the cricket field.

... and Gayle danced !

They say cricket is a funny game and it is hard to predict any thing. I tasted this personally yesterday. What happened in the world T20 finals yesterday, makes my previous post look like a complete foolish post. Neither of the people I mentioned could showcase their talent and failed miserably. I will put down a few statistics to justify just that. Gayle scored 3 runs from 16 bowls, Malinga was hit for 54 in his quota of 4 overs. Jayawardene and Sangakara combined could manage on 55 runs from 85 balls.  

 

The saving grace was the fact that at the end of it all, we did see Gayle dancing and this time he had the full team dancing with him. Let me be very frank and confess the fact that the start that west indies had made me nervous and I had almost given up all the hopes of a west indian victory and the chances of the dance was diminishing. But the way Samuels butchered the Sri Lankan bowlers including Malinga gave me some hope.

 

After then every few minutes I was getting more and more convinced that the match is getting into the hands of west indies and when Mahela was caught playing his favourite switch hit it was curtains for sri lanka. I must also confess that the late outburst with the bat by Nuwan Kulasekera delayed my party a bit but that was an effort that did not reap good results. Eventually the match was sealed and the dance happened.

 

I would also like to add that the Indian's were a bit unlucky in this tournament as they could not make it to the semi finals despite the fact that they had won 4 out of their 5 matches in the tournament. West Indies on the other side did not have a very good run in the tournament but won the matches that mattered and finally they were crowned the World T20 champions. Having said this I do not intend to take anything away from the champions. They thoroughly deserved it. 

 

Can Sri Lanka stop Gayle from Dancing

After the thumping victory over Australia West Indies have stormed into the finals of the T20 World Cup 2012 to fix a match with the inform Sri Lankans. What is going to happen nobody knows but one thing is for sure if Sri Lanka wants to be even close to that title they would have to stop Gayle from dancing (pun intended). I believe that Christopher Henry Gayle is the only thing that is standing between Sri Lanka and the world cup. He is undoubtedly the most effective and dangerous batsman in this format of the game and to stop him they would need the combined best efforts of Malinga, Mendis and all other tigers.

 

I have been an ardent fan of Gayle since I have seen him spank world class bowlers to all around the park with a walking stick (yes that is what his bat looks in his hand) which has a label of 'Spartans' on it. All of you who have watched the movie 300 will know what it means. I also somehow enjoyed his tweet when Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka in the semis. The tweet read 'So its Sri Lanka vs W.I in the final Sunday :)...Hard luck Pakistan!! Now I know who Pakistan will be supporting!. Blessed all... 1 Luv!!,'. This shows the confidence of the man and some arrogance as well. This can be very well linked to Michael Phelps saying before his race that he would win the race (gold medal) and retire.

 

Needless to say whom I would be supporting in the final on Sunday and regardless of who wins I would want that the match goes down to the wire and if possible down to the super over. I want to see the likes of Malinga and Mendis bowling into Gayle and Pollard and I want to see the likes of Sangakara and Mahela oozing with confidence and smashing the bowlers to all the corners of the ground. I want to see Malinga sliding in those yorkers and uprooting the stumps at will. I know I am getting greedy but that is something that you can expect when you have two such wonderful and talented teams fighting it out to be crowned the world champions.  

Have you been to Mc Donalds ?

I know answering this question is not going to earn you a Noble prize neither it will earn you a participation in the KBC. I have something more coming as the second part of this question. So let me add another flavour to this. I am almost certain that all of you are aware that Mc Donalds have a separate breakfast menu which they server till 11:00 am. After 11 they switch back to their original and more traditional menu. So this brings me to my actual question. How do they change their display menu in all of their outlets ?  

 

I have been to several outlets and at different time and I have always wondered how is that done. I have gazed at the menu boards that display the items on sale and I am very sure they do not project it or something of the sort. I am also certain that they do not have different printed boards or hoardings that they can change. I am totally confused and my anxiety was taking over me so I decided to actually go and witness it all by myself.

 

Today morning I went to the Mc Donalds at the MGF Metropolis Mall in Gurgaon around 10:45am and decided I would watch them change the display and hence give myself an answer and satisfy my curiosity. I must confess I am not a very big fan of burgers but because I was there I helped myself with a Chicken Sausage burger and somehow I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. This may be because I was more interested to watch the menu change rather than enjoy my burger.

 

It was 2 - 3 minutes past 11 and there was no activity at all from the crew members and that was not something that I looking forward too. It also made me think if this is controlled by some computerised central system and it would just flip on its own. Whilst I was jumping in and out of my minds exceptional creative idea pool I saw something that gave answers to all my questions. Yes they do it manually and the menu actually flips and now I know how it is done.

 

Have you ever wondered how this is done or if you now want to know how this is done, watch this video on Youtube . It gave me lot of satisfaction and put the pseudo random activity within me to rest.

Good Habits Die Fast

I had developed a good habit of writing but it seems that the passion for it has faded over the past 15 months or so. I realised today that I have stopped writing my blog posts. I was wondering for the last few hours and have concluded that it is majorly due to paucity of time and the fact that my job drains me out mentally and physically. But then I can still try and gather the time and courage to write. I owe this blog post to few of my teammates at RBS Lalit Sharma, Sushant Kumar and Varun Sharma who made me think.

 

Since last January, the time I moved to Ghaziabad, I have been losing around 3 hours daily of my life travelling to and from my office at Gurgaon. But then this is something that I have chosen for myself. I always had the option to stay in Gugaon. Then I guess it is the side affect of having your own house that you love and you do not want to rent out. To add to this I never really enjoyed being in Gurgaon, I somehow feel out of place and misfit with the culture and environment in gurgaon. I know few of my close friends and relatives who are actually in Gurgaon would not like me writing this.

 

 

The physical stress caused by excessive travel does not leave me with enough bandwidth for anything else. Plus the fact that after reaching home I love to prepare my own dinner and that takes care of the rest of the time. So I generally do not get time for anything else. But I would also say that I have become lazy and I am getting more of it with each passing day.

 

It is high time and maybe today was an eye-opener for me that has given me the push that I required and I hope this will help me remain at the top of my lazy nature. A big thanks to my mates once again. I hope to be much more active this time.

 

Ladies Handbag

In the last few weeks I have been travelling in the Delhi Metro very frequently and there is something very interesting that I have noted. All the Metro stations have a different entry for ladies and gents. Most of the time the entry for male passengers is over crowded and at times the line stretches upto few meters on the road (especially at the Huda City Centre) while the ladies have a walk in the park. This holds true for most Metro stations (I have been to many if not all).

Just the other day I was boarding a Metro from the MG Road Metro station and to my surprise the ladies line was atleast twice the size of the line for male passengers. I was smiling looking at this and was wondering what has caused this role reversal ? I was searching around for a reason to justify this abnormal activity. Not that I was feeling bad infact I was feeling good about the fact that I had a small line to cross to be able to reach my destination.

One common thing that I noticed was that every lady was carrying a handbag of the size of a medium backpack bag. Then the answer was easy, the bag checking was taking a lot of time and thus the slow moving queue. Also that was a day when there was Sale on almost all the brands and the ladies have shopped their heart out.  

It is sometimes hard to control yourself when you see something that is not so usual and it keeps playing on your mind till you get an answer to it and when you actually get an answer you laugh at yourself considering the reason you got for it.